The Seagull

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102nd Intelligence Wing The Seagull - Ep 005 - November 2021 Nov 12, 2021

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This month we hear from Col. Bob Driscoll from the medical group for this month’s Command Message. We learn little about dentistry in the Guard through our AFSC spotlight and we learn about some of the holiday programs available to Airmen of the wing in a special holiday episode of 5 Questions. We had a big leadership change at the 102nd during the November RSD, so we’ll give you the rundown on that in addition to a history piece about the origin of Veterans Day. All that as well as a teaser from this month's chevrons podcast. Thank you for joining us on this episode of the 102nd Intelligence Wing's flagship podcast! The Seagull is a monthly program that is published on the second Friday of each month. Keep listening for the latest and greatest from Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts!

102nd Intelligence Wing The Seagull - Ep 004 - October 2021 Oct 08, 2021

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This month we have queued up for you the monthly command message, an interview with the Rising Six Council, five questions with recruiting and retention, a recap of the 20th Anniversary 9/11 ceremony and mini documentary, and a teaser from the newest Chevrons podcast. Thank you for joining us on this episode of the 102nd Intelligence Wing's flagship podcast! The Seagull is a monthly program that is published on the second Friday of each month. Keep listening for the latest and greatest from Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts!

102nd Intelligence Wing The Seagull - Ep 003 - September 2021 Sep 10, 2021

Show notes

On this month’s Seagull we have the monthly command message, two AFSC spotlights to learn a bit more about the finance and fusion analyst career fields, five questions with the inspector general's office, a recap on the TIME conference that many of our airmen attended, a little teaser of a mini documentary about 9/11, and the newest chevrons podcast. Thank you for joining us on this episode of the 102nd Intelligence Wing's flagship podcast! The Seagull is a monthly program that is published on the second Friday of each month. Keep listening for the latest and greatest from Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts!

102nd Intelligence Wing The Seagull - Ep 002 - August 2021 Aug 13, 2021

Show notes

On the August 2021 edition of the Seagull we hear from Col. Timothy Gordon, 102 IW vice commander, as he talks about some of the work that has been done and that is planned to make our installation a convenient walking campus. We highlight the Geospatial Intelligence Analyst AFSC and learn about a new technology that Airmen from the 212th EIS are using to improve our communications infrastructure. We also hear from our Key Spouse program, ask our Judge Advocate five questions and learn a bit of American history in regards to one of the nation's most hallowed decorations, the Purple Heart. Thank you for joining us on this episode of the 102nd Intelligence Wing's flagship podcast! The Seagull is a monthly program that is published on the second Friday of each month. Keep listening for the latest and greatest from Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts!

102nd Intelligence Wing The Seagull - Ep 001 - July 2021 Jul 09, 2021

Show notes

On the July 2021 edition we talk about the new format for the wing's primary podcast stream and how we're bringing back the Seagull moniker in an audio format. We also hear from Col. Stephen Dillon in the form of this month's Command Message, cover some of the recent news and events that have gone on over the past month, and learn a bit of Air Force history in regards to former Massachusetts National Guardsman, Maj. Gen. Charles Sweeney. Thank you for joining us on this new chapter of the 102 IW podcast! The Seagull is a monthly program that is published on the second Friday of each month. Keep listening for the latest and greatest from Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts!

102nd Intelligence Wing Command Message for June 2021 - Chief Master Sgt. John Dubuc Jun 04, 2021

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Chief Master Sgt. John Dubuc, Command Chief of the 102nd Intelligence Wing, delivers the 102nd IW Command Message for June 2021. He discussed the importance of professional development, and the newly established Enlisted Force Tiger Team, which developed a framework to provide enlisted professional development to all Airmen. “I am excited about the changes that this will bring to all of us, allowing us to focus on the skills and competencies that we all need as American Airmen," says Chief Dubuc. “I ask that you all take advantage of the opportunities provided through this culture change with enlisted professional development. You are the best advocate for your career and I know that this will make you a better airman and wingman.” -----SCRIPT----- Hello Team, I am CMSgt John Dubuc, the 102d Intelligence Wing Command Chief with your Command Message for June 2021. This month I want to talk about Professional Development. What is Professional Development? What an important question to ask and I hope that I can provide some perspective for you. The American Hospitality Academy has a great definition and I want to share it with you, they state that Professional development refers to all training, certification and education that a worker needs to succeed in his or her career. I believe that it is important for you to define what professional development is for you and your career. The Air Force has done a tremendous job training all of us at basic training and tech school, providing all of the skills needed to start our careers. We are all provided opportunities to enhance these skills through Professional Military Education throughout our careers. These opportunities are so important to grow your skills and you career but it is important for you as an airmen to take advantage of these opportunities when they are offered. Professional Development can also take you to a different career path or even a different service. I began my career with the Army National Guard and did take advantage of opportunities for enlisted development when they were offered to me, knowing at the time that I would retire from the Army National Guard, boy was I wrong. I was given an opportunity to join the Air National Guard and did need to be retrained which opened up so many more opportunities for me and I know allowed me to develop the skillset that I needed to be the Command Chief of this incredible Wing. I will let you all know that your Wing Leadership understands the importance of Professional Development and how it molds our future leaders. This is my take on professional development and your Wing Leadership did identify some gaps in Enlisted Professional Development throughout the Wing. We established a Tiger Team to address these gaps and a way forward for our enlisted force. I wanted to let you all know about the great work that our Enlisted Force Tiger Team has been doing to begin our culture change regarding Enlisted Professional Development. This team has been working nights and weekends since early January developing a framework to ensure the 102d can provide deliberate focused enlisted professional development for all of our airmen. I am excited about the changes that this will bring to all of us, allowing us to focus on the skills and competencies that we all need as American Airmen. I ask that you all take advantage of the opportunities provided through this culture change with enlisted professional development, you are the best advocate for your career and I know that this will make you a better airmen and wingman. Thank you for all you do as members of the 102d Intelligence Wing, always remember that your careers belong to you!

102nd Intelligence Wing Command Message for May 2021 - Col. Nicole Ivers Apr 30, 2021

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Col. Nicole Ivers, commander of the 102nd Mission Support Group, delivers the 102nd IW Command Message for May 2021. She spoke about the hard working members in the MSG that support the 102nd Intelligence Wing’s missions throughout the Commonwealth and around the world. “We cook your meals, we guard your resources, we process your promotions and we move your cargo,” says Col. Ivers. “We work hard so you don’t have to worry about the little things. You can keep your eye on the ball – the Mission Support Group has your back.”

102nd Intelligence Wing Command Message for April 2021 - Col. Sean Riley Apr 08, 2021

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Col. Sean Riley, commander of the 102nd Intelligence Wing, delivers the 102 IW Command Message for April 2021. He talked about his goal to establish the 102nd as a unit of choice, reviewed some of the steps that wing leadership has taken and discussed how far the wing has progressed, achieving a 95% retention rate, where over 90% of eligible Airmen are choosing to reenlist with the 102nd. “So while there is still work to do, we are heading in the right direction, and I would like to thank each and every one of you for all you do to make the 102nd a world-class organization,” says Col. Riley. “With everyone’s help, we are clearly on our way to establishing ourselves as a unit of choice!” -----SCRIPT----- Members of the 102d, I am excited to bring you this month’s Command Message: Spring and nicer weather are just around the corner. the wing is back on step with in-person drills, and we are fully engaged with both our federal and state mission sets When I took command of the 102d one of my lines of effort was to – establish the 102d as a unit of choice. supporting Airmen personally & developing them professionally, enhancing quality of life by maintaining a climate that fosters, accountability, inclusivity and trust So leadership across the wing helped me develop Wing-wide Goals for 2021, to get after this Line of effort. Those goals are: Maintaining a retention rate greater than 90%, Looking for opportunities to recognize deserving Airmen, Providing Timely Feedback – enlisted & officer performance reports, Reenergize the Wing Diversity Council, Promotion Board Process, Implement an Enlisted Force Development Program at the 102nd. So how are we doing so far? Thanks to all of your efforts, our current retention rate is 95% and over 90% of eligible Airmen are choosing to reenlist and stay at the 102d. Commanders at all levels were challenged to review military decorations for all assigned Airmen and we announce and track all regional and national level award programs – So far this year, Mr. Scott Etler was selected as the Inspector General Civilian of the Year for the Air National Guard and Master Sgt. Meghan Gehl was selected as the ANG, Region 1, First Sergeant of the Year. We continue to improve with the timeliness of EPRs and OPRs and our IG office just completed an internal review of Airmen Comprehensive Assessments which identified several opportunities to make sure Airmen at all levels are receiving timely and meaningful feedback Our Human Resource Advisor, SMSgt Hayner has drafted a new vision for our Diversity Council and held the first meeting in a long time during the March Drill. Chief Dubuc developed a Tiger Team that is Improving our advisory councils, now the Top 3 and Rising 6. Developing a program for deliberate, Enlisted Force Development for all Airmen across the wing So while there is still work to do, we are heading in the right direction, and I would like to thank each and every one of you for all you do to make the 102d a world-class organization. With everyone’s help, we are clearly on our way to establishing ourselves as a unit of choice!

102nd Intelligence Wing News Update for March 29, 2021 - Defenders Deployed to D.C.; Strengthened Resiliency Mar 30, 2021

Show notes

This is Airman Francesca Skridulis with the 102nd Intelligence Wing Public Affairs Office with the latest news from the wing. OTIS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mass. - Security Forces Airmen from the 102nd Intelligence Wing deployed to Washington D.C. for over a month and a half, contributing to a mission at the Capitol building during the inauguration, and later, a civil disturbance mission at the White House. The Airmen’s resilience in the face of adverse conditions allowed them to partner with other forces to teach and learn new tactics that ultimately furthered and strengthened the knowledge and skills of our airmen, and the joint forces that keep our country safe. “They were very resilient,” said Master Sgt. Michael Anderson, the team leader for the group for both missions. “They were able to bounce back time and time again.” Eight Airmen from the 102nd Security Forces Squadron arrived in Washington on Jan. 14, just one week after the insurrection on the Capitol. They were a quick reaction force responsible for the south eastern end of the Capitol complex, working under the 1-181st Infantry Regiment, a Massachusetts Army National Guard unit. They worked taxing, 12-hour shifts where they conducted multiple threat assessments and used their knowledge of civil disturbance operations from missions in Boston to ensure that the Capitol and troops were safe and prepared in case a riot ensued. “They stuck through it,” said Anderson. “They slept in an office that was being redone because of mold, so it stunk. They were just great, and I couldn’t have done it without those guys putting in the hours and just toughening it out and embracing the suck, so to speak.” The Airmen worked closely with the Capitol police, giving classes and sharing tactics and new technology. As a result of this partnership, the Airmen were able to coordinate the ability to survey the area from the roof of the Cannon House Office Building during the inauguration, providing troops on the ground better intelligence and support. Soon after the inauguration, their mission ended and they headed home. They made it as far as Springfield, Mass. before they were called back and told they had a new mission, to protect the White House. Seven Airmen from the 102nd returned to D.C, where they were working under the 164th Transportation Battalion, another Massachusetts Army National Guard unit. Several members from the 102nd SFS had an experienced background working for local law enforcement outside of their Security Forces position within the Air National Guard, making them subject matter experts on civil disturbances. Their unique perspective and knowledge allowed them to jump head first into a joint-force environment where they trained over 300 Army soldiers on riot-control procedures. “We were able to formulate not only a PowerPoint presentation, but we ended up training almost all the Army guys there,” said Anderson. Airmen from the 102nd also got the opportunity to train and learn from the Secret Service Uniformed Division. Training with the Secret Service was a great experience and it changed some of the 102nd’s tactics and the way they’ll train going forward, Anderson said. “We definitely learned how to become organized and remain self-sufficient in a mass of people with a bunch of units from all over the country,” said Anderson. “It was good to have guys there from Massachusetts. I was really very proud of our unit when we left.” This has been a 102nd Intelligence Wing news update. For more news from the wing, visit our website at www.102iw.ang.af.mil or search for 102iw on any major social media platform.

102nd Intelligence Wing Wellness Podcast for March 22, 2021 - April is Month of the Military Child Mar 22, 2021

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On this episode, Ms. Jill Garvin, Wing Director of Psychological Health, speaks to recurring guest, Ms. Christi Garner about the needs of children in different age groups and some tips and resources that parents can use to ease some of their children's anxieties and help them work towards good mental health. Ms. Christi Garner is a licensed therapist and one of the 102nd ISR Group key spouses, and has worked extensively with active duty service members and families. www.traumaeducator.com ------SCRIPT------ Garvin: hello everyone this is Jill Garvin the director of psychological health for the 102nd Air National Guard Intelligence Wing today we are going to talk about month of the military child which is in April and we're going to do a quick podcast with miss Christi Garner she's one of our 102nd ISR key spouses she's also a licensed therapist who has worked extensively with active duty service members and families she's been on with us before and has a wealth of knowledge and we're going to talk a little bit about some parenting tips and we're going to share some resources with you that can be super super helpful and hopefully a lot of parents i know have really struggled during covid you've had to navigate a lot of change and and so have your children so welcome Christi Garner: so glad to be here Jill thank you thank you Garvin: so yeah what are some tips and some resources that you might have for us Garner: you know i've been talking a lot with people that have all ages of children and i think that there's different issues right for different levels of kids so the people that have little bitties at home there's some different issues happening right and i think it depends if those little bitties get to have pods of people they're interacting with or if they have some brothers and sisters or if it's just you and your little bitty so we'll talk a little bit about that and then of course elementary school and a little bit older kids we're seeing a lot of isolation for those kids especially the older ones not a lot of interaction not a lot of peer positives social support all of the things that those older kids used to be able to do to get that need met for connection like their developmental brain tells them they need they're not getting it so a lot of negative self-talk a lot of i would also say some suicidal ideations going up pretty high in those teens and so we're really looking at ways that you can help the older kids with some of those issues that you might not have thought of before and i think with those middle years just finding ways to engage more i know that our middle year kid at home is just constantly needing extra attention extra board games extra card games and extra things to do so figuring out where we can find some of those might be helpful what do you think about some of those tools too Garvin: yeah i love that and i like that you mentioned well just different age groups and it depends where someone is develop mentally in terms of what they can understand and what they can can grasp the other thing i was wondering about too is is yes people some children have really missed that connection and socialization piece and i know that some children have also enjoyed being able to you know do school from home and are having anxiety about returning back into the classroom and i know some have already have con have been in the classroom already but just wondering how parents can kind of help help ease some of their anxiety around returning back into the classroom too Garner: yeah i love that and i think we can start talking about that issue returning to the classroom and you're probably seeing two different ways the kids are reacting to that right i know some kids are anxious and ready to get back to school and really see it as a positive part of their life and some kids probably have the opposite reaction and hearing from a lot of people about the kids that are not so excited to go back to school right not so excited to have to interact or what i'm hearing a lot from the older kids is i don't know if my friends even like me anymore right because they haven't really been seeing them much or talking to them so i think really helping your kids talk about developmentally appropriate responses to what's happening i talked with some parents the other day and just saying hey you know what so-and-so might still like you or maybe they don't like you but maybe they're just having their own reaction to what's happening right now yeah we don't know if someone's parents are more high risk and so they've been having to stay home and stay away from everybody because their parents don't want them to interact with anyone else or maybe they live with their grandparents or something where they're not allowed to really have any social interaction until after this is over and then i think there's also been a lot of parents who have both been at work and those kids have just been at home doing their own thing and you know i see a lot of kids down here by the base going to the skate park every day after school and so i'm always like how can you help your kids if they're a little bit older to kind of socially engage again in a safe way outside of the skate park is a great place right because they can wear their masks and be socially distant but still hang out so trying to find different places where they can engage church groups i'm sure as well right some of those youth church groups Garvin: yeah and and speaking one of the resources that i was going to bring up is that both the 4-h and the boys and girls club clubs of america they offer a lot of different quality programs and free memberships to military youth as well so that's also something that that you that parents can take advantage of Garner: yeah you know i just i get on military one source a lot and i don't know if you get on that website Jill but they have the links to the boys and girls club of america mission youth outreach which is about money management and summer reading programs for kids and they also have military kids connect which is a place for kids pre-teens and teens to talk about different kinds of transitions so military kids connect might be a great place you know when we're talking about some of the anxiety that kids are having it would be similar to talking to them about pcsing even though a lot of people here don't pcs because you know we're in the we're in the in the guard the same issues about anxiety and transition come up in pcs so there's a lot of stuff about pcs thing on the military kids connect which would also be applicable to returning back to the school Garvin: yeah they have wonderful resources on there as well as well as i know during covid that children could also utilize military one source for counseling as well so that's something else to to check out and it's all free of course Garner: that's right they even have a parent coaching program on there where you can get a coach for free Garvin: yeah that's great and i think i would also encourage parents yeah to check some of these things out because you know depending on how we were raised and what our parents you know kind of taught us or how they disciplined us you know parenting is is very challenging and we learn that often from what was role modeled for us growing up and i know i've had quite a few people that have come in and again they've just been more challenged since the pandemic their own stress and then their child stress and just managing that and you're not supposed to necessarily have all the answers and and you're not necessarily supposed to be the perfect parent but you know just having the willingness to to look at some of these other tools and and other programs and coaching and all of those things you know just to give you some other tools for your toolbox is is wonderful that's one great thing about the military there's so many great resources for us Garner: yeah totally they even have a little section on apps which i have been looking at and they have apps for parents but also for kids different ages and so they have that coaching app in there and they also have like a sesame street kind of app for little kids which talks about some nervous system regulation exercises so you know deep breathing for little kids or different ways that you can help them to calm down or transition better on military one source you can find those apps as well Garvin: i love that that i always encourage parents too that when they are stressed out or if they're going through some kind of loss or big change you know it's okay to let your kids know that that you might be struggling a little bit too of course there's always an appropriate response but you know sometimes kids parents think that they have to behave or respond to things in some perfect manner and that it's not okay to to act stressed out or to get upset or to show some tears and again our kids watch us and how we respond to things and it's it's important to to let them know that you're human and and that you're stressed out sometimes as well Garner: yeah totally Garvin: just gonna share a couple other resources that i would recommend for folks to join the mailing list for the guard child and youth program in whatever area you're in in massachusetts you can actually send a request to mass m a s s n g y youth or n g youth at aol.com and they they have a social media account they do weekly emailings they will pass on discounts benefits and different services and also the military child education coalition has a wealth of information for anything education related they have they also have some wonderful free parent webinars every week in addition to other offerings for students and educators and home base which we've talked about here before which is a wonderful organization they have and a lot of our folks have utilized their their services and programs but they also have services for children that includes counseling nutrition wellness and some fun activities as well but they do offer programming in person and some virtual webinars and podcasts so there's just a ton of stuff and if you go on what's it called militarychild.org they have a lot of resources on there as well there's like a tool kit some different things that you can do during April for month in the military child and just a ton of resources so yeah there's a lot of different a lot of different things and i think it's the apps we've talked about that on this podcast too doing that with your child is both beneficial for you and your child again kind of calming your your nervous system and and showing your child that it's also important to take care you know of your mind and body and and breathing exercises and and how that can really be helpful and it would be a great thing to share to share with your little one Garner: absolutely i think too there's a tendency to think you have to do everything i'm remembering that just pick one thing right let's just for the month of April or the first week of April just pick one thing and maybe that's to look at one of these resources and then once you've done that just pick one of those resources and then try it out just repeat repeat repeat every day even the same thing yeah Garvin: and and on a serious note because i have had some some parents that have been very concerned about their children over this last year again some have had losses because of covid so they've lost a family member you know the loss of the socialization in the schools and things like that so and you had mentioned suicidal ideation before what if if someone is worried about their child or they have written something or they've drawn something that's concerning or they say something that is concerning or they say they want to die what are some resources and responses that we could offer parents in terms of where they can turn and where they can reach out for help Garner: well Jill you probably have some resources that are a good easy reach and when i think about responding to those i think about how busy we all are and overwhelmed we all are just in our day-to-day lives right and how do we make the time in that moment when we hear something that might be more serious how do we make the time in that moment to say hey what do you mean by that or tell me a little bit more about that what does that mean to you that you don't want to be alive anymore what does that mean for you that you wish you could die right and just starting to ask the kids about that a little bit more i was listening to someone talking the other day about some abuse they had endured and saying they kept explaining it to their parents right i don't like so-and-so and they're mean to me and i don't like it you know in years later it comes out that it was something really serious but the parent just thought that they were fighting with their cousin again you know so when someone says like i don't like this or i hate this or this person i don't like them or i'm feeling some way it's okay to just say well what do you mean by that what does that mean when you say that or tell me more about it right just taking that extra minute even if you're totally overwhelmed your kids have been fighting all day you've heard this a million times to just ask a little bit more of a clarifying question yeah and then finding the time to sit down i always tell people some kids can handle like a face-to-face interaction but some kids need to be like right next to you like maybe washing dishes or while you're driving them in the car somewhere like a side-by-side conversation can be a little bit less triggering to some kids of different ages where it's just like we're in the middle of our day maybe we're raking up leaves in the yard or you know making chopping up some vegetables together or something to say like hey i heard you say this yesterday what did you mean by that right just making it a conversation Garvin: yeah definitely exploring that because we don't always know if a child is being dramatic or or if there is really something else else going on so just taking that time out to ask them what what they mean by that and the suggestions that you had are great and then of course if you are really concerned about your child i'm a resource here for the 102nd you can always call me you can always bring your your if your child in if you wanted me to to have some eyes on but if you're ever worried about their you know their safety or if they have actually taken some kind of action you always want to take take them to the emergency room so they can be seen by a doctor and a crisis worker at the hospital and get them medically cleared and find them the the right supports but again yeah call me i'm happy to point you in the right direction and give you some additional resources if you are if you are worried about that and and never leaving if there is a serious concern never leaving your child alone until you you know connect them with someone or have them assessed by a professional Garner: yeah absolutely you know Jill i get this question a lot too it can be overwhelming to try to find a mental health professional so you can call your school counselor you can call Jill right you can call someone that you know that's a therapist you can ask me in the key spouse program and we can all help you find people because sometimes it feels a little bit like difficult like who do i find and how do i find them and how do i know if my insurance…

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